The work of Natalia Wojtaś from Wroclaw University of Technology is a form of manifesto, representing the need to integrate nature with architecture. The student designed the Yoga House from wood and stone and placed it in the middle of a Portuguese forest. Equipped with a number of green installations and sustainable solutions, the building is made to have as little impact on the local environment as possible.
Natalia Wojtaś' project is an engineering thesis entitled. "Yoga House. A Manifesto of Nature in Architecture," carried out under the supervision of Joanna Jablonska, Ph.D., prof. of the PWr university's Department of Public Utility Architecture, Fundamentals of Design and Environmental Design.
The project consists of a forest path and pavilions
© Natalia Wojtaś
The aim of the premise is to show the strong bond between man and the environment, which should play an important role in shaping the space we live in. Man and nature influence each other, and with the help of architecture and urban planning we can make this symbiosis sustainable, says the author.
The proposal is located at the Portuguese yoga center Vale de Moses
© Natalia Wojtaś
yoga in the portuguese mountains
The Yoga House designed by the student is located on the slopes of the Serra de Estrela mountain range in central Portugal. It is an extension of an existing yoga center in the area - Vale de Moses. The designed building enriches the current establishment with an additional facility for the practice of yoga and meditation. In this space, people can get closer to nature, which promotes tranquility, and the atmosphere of the place allows a break from daily routine. The study area lies in the glacial valley of the Vale de Moses, which is covered with extensive pine forests. There are numerous erratic boulders and rocks in the landscape. In addition, one of the more popular tourist routes is located near the resort - this place, is often visited by people from all over Europe.
The author designed a forest path and four pavilions
© Natalia Wojtaś
Inspired by nature and the sciences of the East
The main inspirations for the author were phenomena observed in nature and Far Eastern and Middle Eastern sciences.
The basis of the idea of the designed premise is a Japanese-derived yoga practice called shinrin-yoku. It is also a type of therapy, commonly known as forest bathing - which means forest bathing. It involves long hikes in the forest, where one gets to know nature through all the senses. The nature walk I designed, therefore, is part of a yoga practice that allows one to calm down in nature. Literally, "yoga" means "union," and through walking we can feel oneness with nature," Natalia Wojtaś explains.
A walk in the middle of the forest
The author divided the project into several parts, gradually creating a spatial premise. First, she focused on adapting the proposed path to the form of the area, taking into account the existing greenery and leaving a full stand of trees. Then she designed four, individual pavilions that add variety to the forest walk.
the walk leads through the pavilions of the senses
© Natalia Wojtaś
The walk along the designed path leads successively through three smaller pavilions, closing the establishment with the main structure - the Yoga House. The smaller pavilions are places where one can indulge in meditation in nature. They are designed to stimulate the various senses and bring visitors closer to nature. Due to their location, each pavilion refers to a different sense. The first - the touch pavilion - is surrounded by trees, herbs and rocks. Here you can learn about nature by touching different textures. The next - the view pavilion - lies on the edge of a slope and the view from it opens up toward the Vale de Moses valley. This is supposed to promote the feeling and understanding of the power of nature.
sound pavilion and forest pathway
© Natalia Wojtaś
The third is the sound pavilion - it is a place where you can hear amplified sounds of the environment (such as wind, birdsong or rain) - not normally heard so clearly. Thanks to its stone walls and circular shape, acoustic waves coming from the forest would be concentrated in the center of the structure and thus their sounds would be easier to perceive. The last one - the pavilion of enlightenment - is the target subject of the student's project, the eponymous Yoga House. It is to it that the designed path leads. Visitors arrive there calmed and prepared to indulge in yoga practice.
The path leads to the Yoga House perched on stilts
© Natalia Wojtaś
house on stilts
The center's existing buildings were renovated in the spirit of the region's traditional construction methods - with local stone and wood. The newly designed building was also made by the author from these two, local materials. The structure of the Yoga House is raised, in order to provide free communication under the building - a forest path also runs here. In addition, the raised volume allows rainwater to flow freely under the structure and provides more space for greenery, which is not directly exposed to sunlight.
The Yoga House consists of an open area, a separated area and an atrium
© Natalia Wojtaś
The body of the building is a cuboid with a rectangular base, overhanging the slope and resting on a post structure. Wooden pillars, are stiffened by a central cylinder made of reinforced concrete and stone, in addition, metal tendons are hidden in the walls of the building. Guests enter the Yoga House via a central staircase encased in stone, blending in with the local architecture. The facility's cylinder is not fully enclosed - it partially opens toward the valley and the existing Vale de Moses resort.
yoga practice room
© Natalia Wojtaś
play of light and shadow
The functional layout in the pavilion was designed by a young architect, after studying Vastu shastra - the Indian philosophy of shaping space, taking into account the preferences of the resort owners. The house is divided into two zones - an open area, with a room for practicing yoga and a tea room, and a separate area, with sanitary and technical rooms. The first part would open to the four sides of the world, providing beautiful views during meditation and exercise. The sanitary rooms, on the other hand, would be separated by a glass atrium, around which communication would run.
The author was inspired by the phenomenon of komorebi
© Natalia Wojtaś
There are many inspirations derived from nature in the building. One of them is the phenomenon known in Japan as komorebi. It means a light effect created by the penetration of light rays through leaves and tree trunks. This phenomenon is the inspiration for a custom-designed system of movable blinds. In Portugal's hot climate, such a shading system is useful because it allows the amount of solar radiation to be controlled, thus preventing the building from overheating. In addition, by controlling the amount of light entering the building, users can influence the atmosphere inside, which also plays an important role when practicing yoga and meditation, adds Natalia Wojtaś.
The building is a cuboid with a rectangular base,
overhanging the slope and resting on a columnar structure
© Natalia Wojtaś
symbiosis of architecture and nature
The building not only fits into the context of a yoga center, but also respects the surrounding nature. For this reason, the author opted for sustainable solutions. She placed a photovoltaic laminate on the roof, a heat pump provides heating, and two wastewater treatment plants recover water. Rainwater from the roof is discharged into a central atrium with a pond and is then purified thanks to a special species of clam - the bristlefish - and used to irrigate the garden. The pond has a positive effect on the interior microclimate, providing better humidity and natural cooling in hot climates.
Natalia's work was awarded third place, in the engineering diploma category, of the fourth edition of the "Diploma with Archicad" competition. The project was recognized for its "attempt to seek an architectural response to the need for concentration and contemplation in relation to nature."
